Differences on Syria will be highlighted at G8 summit

Syria is set to top the agenda for leaders meeting as part of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland today, but analysts say a major breakthrough on what action to take in the civil-war torn country is unlikely.

“I don’t expect a major breakthrough on Syria, even though both camps will likely stress their common interests, their preference for a political solution...and the need for a peace conference,” said Fawaz Gerges, director of the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics.

U.S. President Barack Obama, who arrived in Northern Ireland on Monday, and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to hold bilateral talks during the summit, where they will also discuss their opposing views on the situation in Syria.

On the even of the summit, Putin accused British Prime Minister David Cameron of betraying humanitarian values by supporting Syrian rebels with “blood on their hands.”

Russia and the West have long been at odds over Syria. As the violence continues to escalate in the region President Putin expressed anger at the U.S. commitment to supply small arms and ammunition to rebels as a result of the U.S. saying there was proof Bashar Assad’s regime had used small amounts of chemical weapons.

Meanwhile, Russia has been providing arms and diplomatic support to the Assad regime, an action Russian President Vladimir Putin defended at a press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron in London on Sunday.

Putin described Assad’s government as “the legitimate government of Syria in full conformity with the norms of international law.”

Gerges said it is unlikely that both camps will be able to bridge the gap, likening the current relationship between Russia and the U.S. to that of Cold-War era.

“Far from changing or shifting its position, Russia has become much more supportive of the Syrian government,” said Gerges.

“The main stumbling block is that the Western powers want a transitional government with full executive powers with Assad stepping down. Russia (on the other hand) believes that Syrians should decide the fate of Assad and not the Western powers.”

The Obama administration made the announcement that it would provide upgraded military aid to Syria on Friday following months of hesitation.

The United States vowed at the outbreak of the conflict in March 2011 that it would not intervene in Syria as it had in Libya, but made a statement in August of last year that if the regime used chemical weapons against the rebels, it would cross a “red-line” that could force the U.S. to change its position.

News of chemical weapons attacks carried out by Assad’s regime surfaced in April, with France and Israel saying reports of dozens being killed appeared to be credible.

The Syrian government’s armed forces have launched 13 such attacks targeting Homs, Aleppo, Damascus and Idlib and killing 57 people, according to a report published June 15 by the Syrian Network for Human rights.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) welcomed the U.S. decision to provide more military aid but said that they required larger weapons.

“The weapons we require above all are anti-aircraft and anti-shield weapons, so that we can stop the Air Force and stop the regime and Hezbollah from advancing,” said Fahed Al-Masri, media officer for the FSA’s joint command in Paris.

The FSA also called for western powers to create a no-fly-zone. “We encourage the American administration and the European Union to decide on a no-fly-zone to protect defenseless civilians from the regime’s daily bombings with rockets and aircraft,” Louai Mikdad, spokesman for FSA General Staff in Turkey told USA Today.

As well as Syrian, economic issues are also expected to be discussed at the two-day summit, which includes leaders from France, Germany and the UK.